The present application relates generally to concentrators and tracking devices and more specifically to a terrestrial solar concentrator and a light-weight tracking system.
Developing cost-competitive alternative energy sources is of paramount importance with rising concerns over global warming and energy independence. Solar energy is abundant and can easily meet the world's energy needs. However, conventional solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity are too expensive to gain widespread acceptance. Solar concentrators attempt to reduce the cost of solar electricity by putting more solar energy on a given panel area. Solar trackers attempt to improve the functioning of solar concentrators by keeping them pointed at the sun.
However, existing concentrators often remain too costly to gain widespread adoption. Furthermore, many existing systems are designed for utility scale power generation because larger systems can distribute the costs of tracking, cooling, and power inversion. Current methods of generating off-grid power include diesel engines, which are not easily portable, and do not scale down for personal use, and small solar arrays, which are too expensive, and often do not generate enough power.
Tracking can increase the efficiency of many systems, including solar cells. While apparatuses for tracking and for pointing in two dimensions are well known, current systems are bulky and expensive.